Abdominal support.



NI. W. BURK.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

APPucATmN FILED JAN. 13, 191e.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

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MABEL w. BURK, or CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application led January 13, 1916. 'Sera1No. 71,945.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MABEL W. Brum, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anewand useful Abdominal Support, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to abdominal supporters and surgical binders, and the object is to provide an improved supporter and binder of this class/which is particularly efficacious for use upon post-operative patients for all organic abdominal disorders.

. Another object isV to provide a device which is adapted to be readily applied tothe body of the patient in order to give proper compression to the walls of the abdomen,

etc., and having additional supplemental means, carried thereby, to be strapped around the supporter and binder to render the same readily adjustable to increase or decrease thev pressure upon the body of the wearer. 1 f

A further object is to provide means upon the supporter for the attachment .of a plurality of garters for the stockings vof the wearer, performing the double function of supporting the latter and acting to prevent the improvedV device from riding upwardly and away from the `parts to be benefited,

Vthus obviatingthe necessity of using-a groin belt for this purpose.

The improved device is designed to be used in `conjunction with a specially designed pad of relatively bulky formation adapted to be placed under the binder, next to the body of the wearer, in order to exert a greater pressure over the kidneys or other organs in cases where such treatment is found necessary.l j

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a careful characters designate like parts in each of 'the several figures, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the binder and supporter in its applied position. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same showing the outer or supplemental band unfastened to more fully disclose the means for tightening the inner or main binder or supporter. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the supplemental band in its secured position. Fig. 4t is a plan view, partly broken away, and drawn vto a slightly enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the ends of the'main binder or supporter. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the pressure pad to be used in connection with the device, and Fig. 7 is a topplan view thereof. f Y

The invention comprises in yits construction a main band l ofL thin, porous material,

knit in a manner to permit of considerable elasticity, so that the same may readily adapt itself to the contour of the body of the wearer, and of a width sufficient vto approximately cover the abdominal regions. This band 1 isv preferably'formed of a single" from' slipping downwardly over the hips,

and 1n order to prevent any upward displacement of the deviceV upon the body, garters 2, of ordinary construction, are utilized.y

Any desired number of such garters may be used, and-they are adapted to be sewed or .otherwise secured to a continuous band 3 formed of some stout inelastic cloth or other material and extending along the' entire lower edge of the band 1 from end to end vand suitably secured thereto as by stitching.

The said garters may be secured to the band 3 at any desired location, sothat when the garters aremade fast to thestockings of the wearer, in the ordinary wmanner, any possibility of the Vupward displacement of the device is jobviated. 1 Y

A specialfeature of this invention ris the provision of the inelastic band` 3 entirely around the lower edge ofthe main Vband 1, as it not only serves as a binding for said band but avoids any stretching of the lower edge thereof, maintaining a tight grip on the body which could not be obtained were the s eased, in, addition .to which the relative position of the garters is always the same. It is this part of the invention which enables me to dispense with the usual groin belt.

The ends of the band 1 are embraced by reinforcingstrips 4 of stout, inelastic material, such as duck, drilling, etc., securely stitched to the band and having stifening means 5, such as a` strip of reed, whalebone or .the like, of a length equal to the width of the band 1, interposed in the loop 6' formed by turning the strip 4 over the end of the band 1, the material forming the reinforcing strips 4 being suitably turned over at Ithe top and bottom to prevent the endwise displacement of the stiHene-rs 5. Thus, the ends of the band are caused to lmaintain a taut, flat position against the back of the wearer.

A plurality of eyelets 7 are inserted in the strips4, beyond the st ifeners 5, and are Y adapted to receive an ordinary lacing 8, for

the purpose of exerting more or lesspressure on the band 1 around the body. This lacing is preferably introduced into the eye-- lets in the usual manner of a corset lacing,

'so that the free ends ofthe said lacing are brought together at the middle of the strips 4, thusleaving a free loop 9 at the bottom of the band, for a purpose to be explained. Intermediate `the ends of the `band l, so

i as to lie directly over the central portion of the abdominal regions, there is secured a panel. or web section 10 `of some light-weight', inelastic material :of a somewhat less width than the width of the band 1, and located 'approximately in a cent-ral position with respect to the top and bottom edges of the said band. This panel 10 is stitched along its I vertical median line, as at 11, Ito the band 1,

and thus comprises a right and left hand wing, free from the band and adapted to have secured thereto, as 'by stitching, reinforcing str-ips 12 and right and left hand extensions` 18, formed of double thicknesses of material similar to that composing the main band 1.

The extensions 13 form an outer or supplemental band or binder, and they are adapted to be passed around the body, to the right and left, their free ends being reinforced by suitable pads or panels 14 of stout flexible materia-l, and coming into close proximity to each other at the back of the wearer over the -central portion of the lacing 8. 1

One of the panels 14 is provided with a pair of straps 15, and the other member 14 lis provided on its outer face with a pair of buckles 16 adapted to receive the straps 15,

'in order to draw the outer supplemental band taut' `around, the inner' band 1 and maintainthe same in such position;

The front 'panel' 110`=is provided `at its Alower edge with a relatively small tab 17 lsuitably secured to and depending from the lower edge thereof to form means for carrying -a loop 18 of strong tape or the like, and for spacing the said loop away from 'the supporter. A similar tab 19 is made fast, as by stitching, to the loop 9 of the lacing, at the back of the supporter, and lthe said tab 19 has a corresponding loop 20 secured thereto. v

The two loops 18 and 20 serve asmeans for supporting a sanitary pad or catamenial sack (not shown). In the event of the ordinary `form of said pad being used, vthe same may be quickly and easily applied by folding the same in the customarymanner, looping the folded cloth through the rear loop 20 and bringing the two ends forward and through the front loop 1S when, by the use of a single safety pin, the same may be fastened in proper position and, in the event of any adjustment being required, the same may be accomplished by the tightening or loosening of the portion 9 of the lacing at the back. Suitable flaps 21, stitched to the inner faces `of the strips 4, extending from the top to the bottom of the band l and lying in over lapping relation to Leach other are adapted to prevent the lacing 8 from annoying the wearer by coming in contact with the skin.

For the treatment of certain disorders, or for the purpose of applying an extra amount of pressure to a particular part of the body, as, for instance, `to the kidneys or `the pit of the stomach, a pad 22 is adapted' to be used in conjunction with the improved supporter and binder. `This pad is made preferably in the form `of a crescent, and consists of a base member, cut in the above mentioned shape and having suitable padding material arranged on'each side thereof,

and a covering of material similar to the yband 1 and members 13 sewed tightly around the whole.

in the event of it being desi-red to utilize the same asa kidney pad, in the treatment of displaced or movable kidneys as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, it will beseen that the vpad lies across the abdomen with the curved extended ends 23 opposite the regions" overlying the kidneys, so as to hold-the kidneys up into their proper positions. l

vIt will be observed that the Width vof the pad is no greater than the Width of the supplemental band, .whereby `the latter whenl "drawn tight serves to keep the pad in place.

The fasteners'24 are attached to the main band outside "the limits of the supplemental band.

From the foregoing it will be seen that aflfoo supporter and binder is provided which is of maximum strength, and much lighter in weight than similar devices, composed of rubber, etc. and that being formed of porous material, is always ventilated and may bev readily washed and kept in a sanitary condition, and that the same is capable of being readily applied or removed from the body of the wearer.

1. A surgical binder comprising a main band formed of elastic textile material, means for connecting the ends of said band, a supplemental band narrower than the main band and fastened at an intermediate point to the front of the main band, means connecting the ends of the supplemental band, a continuous narrow band secured along the entire lower edge of the main band and constituting a facing therefor and made of inelastic material so as to rmly grip the body from end to end of the main band, and garters secured to said narrow band at spaced points and depending from the same,

means for connecting the ends of the supplemental band, of a crescent-shaped pad placed Vbetween the main band and the body of the wearer and of a length to extend across the abdomen and of a width less than the main bandV and no greater than the supplemental band, and fastening means for connecting the curved ends of the pad to the main band outside the supplemental band.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MABEL W. BURK.

Witnesses: n

KATHARINE M. IVORRILOW, WILLIAM P. LEAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C, 

